Waterman

There was not any problem at all. All I wanted was some ink and a pen converter and the young lady from customer service was very helpful and polite. That's all, that's it !!

I received a response from Michael at Parker - rOtring - Waterman - Global. He was helpful, informative and most generous in sharing information.

He sent me a comprehensive list of possible contacts in the pen repair/restoration world in the United States for which I am very grateful. I have since begun to make contact with each to inquire about the pen part I seek.

Some have already responded; I await others responses. I have not found the part yet, but I'm not giving up easily.

The plastic refill holder to my Waterman Expert II French Blue ballpoint pen fractured along the rim so that it is unable to accept a refill. The rest of the pen (Expert II French Blue Ballpoint) is metal so I thought it was worth getting the part replaced even out of warranty.

Sent the pen to the Parker/Waterman Service Center for a quote and received an estimate of $39. They also indicated that "damaged part will be kept at their SAS service for 3 months and then will be discarded" Yikes!

No thank you - just give me back what I sent (ALL the parts!). And calling me "Dear Sirs" didn't help much either.

A few years back I bought a set of Waterman writing instruments that included a fountain pen, a rollerball pen, and a mechanical pencil. The whole set cost over $300.

The pencil broke after three years. The roller ball pen broke recently. The products claim lifetime warranties. I sent the rollerball pen back because the bottom of the pen would push out and the writing point would retract inside the pen body make it unusable.

I sent the rollerball back to be fixed and they came back with some excuse that I had to be dropped. The pen has NEVER BEEN dropped. If you buy products from Waterman expecting them to fix it under warranty - forget it. They will invariable come up with some excuse or another.

Their products are NOT WORTH the extra cost.

Save your money and buy something less glamorous but more relaible. I for one will never buy a Waterman in the future.